The Women in Tax network is going from strength to strength
and continues to grow in size and reputation.

As one of the founding members, Heather Self has been a key
person in driving its growth since its conception in 2015, and
her work is an inspiration to many. Her efforts in bringing
women working in tax together across the UK has allowed many to
gain confidence, learn new skills and network with like-minded
individuals to share views and experiences. All this, a day job
at Pinsent Masons, and a very active Twitter account that has
more than 16,000 followers that raises awareness of the group
and other tax matters have earned Self a spot on the Global Tax
50 for the second consecutive year.

Talking to International Tax Review about the
success of the group, Self says: "I think we've become
well-established and better-known – with recognition
such as this being a key part of that. We've now got branches
in Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, West Midlands and East Midlands
as well as London, not to mention over 2,000 followers on
Twitter!"

The objective of the network is to both raise the voice of
women within the tax sphere and support women working in the
field. The network's meetings involve discussions on tax issues
with expert women speaking, rather than discussing women's
issues. It's about making sure that women are getting equal
recognition – a value that ITR shares.

Reflecting on the success of the Women in Tax group, Self
says that it is partly down to luck. "We seem to have struck a
chord, and have capitalised on a wider movement to ensure women
are more visible and are recognised for their achievements. But
we've worked hard to stay friendly and accessible, and to keep
the bureaucracy to a minimum. New groups are set up in response
to someone saying 'Is there a branch in my region?' with the
inevitable answer being 'Not yet – would you like to
start one?'"

"I hope we'll see another two or three groups spring up
– perhaps in Scotland or Wales. We've also had some
overseas enquiries from places as widely-spread as Sweden, the
US and Australia – we had a great breakfast with some
visiting Australian barristers! But I don't think we want to
build an empire – we will be happy for overseas groups
to learn from our experience, and to set up whatever works for
them locally – that's something to work on next
year."

The establishment of the Women in Tax network was a reaction
to all-male panels and a male-dominated industry. The interest
in the women's network and its growth highlights how important
this movement has been so far and will continue to be.

The network has an active committee in London, as well as a
number of volunteers organising events for groups based outside
the capital.

Self, a familiar voice on Twitter, has keenly utilised the
social media site to promote the network throughout the UK and
internationally. Since Women in Tax was launched, Self's
efforts in promoting the network have raised significant
awareness. So much so that she has been approached by multiple
organisations looking to balance their panels with expert women
at their events.

The success of the network has raised interest worldwide.
"We are getting better at sharing information and good ideas,
but I think we could do more – we're trying to ensure
that local groups can benefit from each other's experience, so
that if a topic works well in one group we can repeat it
elsewhere," Self says.

"I hope that we are building a real community, and achieving
our goal of raising the voice of women in tax, and being a
supportive network for all women working in tax," Self
concludes.